This invention relates to a power column, and more particularly, the invention relates to a pivotable power column of the type described in copending application Ser. No. 07/525,044, filed May 18, 1990.
A power column generally is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,683 and is fixedly mounted between floor and ceiling of a hospital room. The column is of rectangular cross section. A bed is positioned with its head end adjacent to the power column and with the bed being positioned at the angle with respect to the power column that is most convenient for the attending nurse and for providing physiological services for the patient. The power column has mounted in its front face plural gas outlets, that is, outlets for oxygen, purified air, nitrous oxide and vacuum. Alongside walls of the power column are electrical outlets. There is provision for normal 110 volt power, emergency power, low voltage communication circuits and low voltage monitoring circuits. A monitor with visual display is mounted on an arm at the front wall of the power column, the arm permitting the monitor to tilt and swivel. Vertical mounting rails are provided to mount a wide variety of accessories such as a sphygmomanometer, drainage bag, IV pole, stat clock timer for code blue situations, lamps, storage baskets, etc.
The power column is for critical care patients. The objective has been to make all of the equipment associated with the treatment of the patient as accessible as possible while providing as much freedom of movement as possible around the bed so as to permit the nurse to attend the patient, even in code situations.
Application Ser. No. 07/525,044 describes an improvement, particularly in the mounting of the power column for pivoting movement around the head end of the bed. More specifically, there are disclosed support arms pivoted to the floor and ceiling, respectively, on an axis that passes through the head end of the bed. The power column is mounted between the free ends of those arms, thereby permitting the power column to be swung to either corner at the head end of the bed so as to be positionable on either the right or left side of the bed. The pivoting power column increases the flexibility of bringing services to the patient on the side of the patient where they are needed or, alternatively, making the equipment optimally accessible to the nurse, with the nurse having the choice of having the equipment on her left or her right hand. The pivoting power column also frees space at the head end of the bed for procedures requiring the nurse to access the patient from the head end of the bed.